Online Casino Bonuses

If you are new to the online casino bonuses scene, you have probably seen the often too-good-to-be-true signup bonus offers plastered all over UK casino websites. But can internet casinos possibly afford to give out thousands of pounds in free cash? Are these offers legit?

Read on to learn what online casino bonuses are, how they work and how to claim them.

TOP Online CASINO bonuses

What is a casino signup bonus?

A casino signup bonus also known as a welcome bonus refers to a reward given to a player after registering to an online casino. A signup bonus is usually in the form of match bonuses, cashback on initial losses, loyalty points, or a chance to play free-of-charge on one or more games in the casino’s catalogue.

A match bonus is where the casino awards you a bonus that matches the amount of your first deposit. So for example, a 100% signup match bonus means that if you deposit £200, the casino will give you another £200 to make a total of £400 in your casino account balance.

Loyalty points may be exchanged for a cash bonus, free spins, casino branded merchandise or other perks.

How do casino signup bonuses work?

Most online casinos in the UK offer signup bonuses to attract new members. A signup bonus might be available immediately after signing up and verifying your casino account, but more usually, you will receive your bonus after making a deposit or playing your first game.

Casino signup bonuses are designed to encourage new players to register and make a cash deposit. Although it’s possible for new members to just sign up and play games for free, when a casino offers free money and all you have to do to get it is to make a deposit, you are likely to get off the fence and make the deposit.

In addition to signup bonuses, many web-based casinos in the UK offer a referral bonus or tell-a-friend bonus for new players. This allows players to generate a further bonus reward by getting their friends to sign up and make a deposit.

Types of online casino bonuses

First Deposit Welcome Bonus: As the name suggests, this bonus is received upon making your first deposit. It is often the first thing that you will see upon visiting the website of an online casino. Most bonuses of this type are a 100% match bonus, whereby you deposit a specific amount and you are awarded double that amount by the casino.

Free Play Bonus: This is also known as a No Deposit Bonus. Here a player is not required to make a deposit. This allows casino players to try out games without having to use their own funds. All you need to do is sign up for an account and the Free Play Bonus becomes automatically available to you. Note however that if you win using a Free Play Bonus, the casino may ask you to make a deposit before you can withdraw your winnings.

Reload Bonus: Reload Bonuses are designed to keep existing casino players interested in returning to the casino and making further deposits. Players will often run out of money and stop playing for some time, casinos know this and offer Reload Bonuses as an incentive to get them to come back, redeposit and play some more.

Referral Bonus: In casinos where this bonus is offered, you are awarded a referral bonus every time you refer a friend to the casino. With referral bonuses, the friend is usually required to make a minimum deposit before the bonus is released to your bankroll.

High Roller Bonus: This type of online casino bonuses is offered to players who gamble big and are willing to make larger than normal deposits, usually £1000 or more. For example, a 100% bonus on a £5000 deposit amounts to £10,000 in your casino account balance. As you can see, this bonus amount is huge.

Loyalty Bonus: The more you play at a casino, the more you are likely you are to receive a Loyalty Bonus. This is only offered to players who have played in an online casino for an extended period. Loyalty bonuses are known to give big rewards such as free holidays, cars, expensive electronics and more.

Important factors to consider when choosing ONLINE casino bonuses

There are many different types of online casino bonuses to claimed. Although many are tempting, players need to do their homework and ensure they know what they’re getting into.

The main factors to consider when choosing online casino bonuses include:

Simplicity: Before choosing a bonus offer to claim, it is advisable to check whether you are able to achieve the required milestone. You don’t want to go for a casino bonus that promises the most, while making it very difficult to clear.

Deposit amount required: With bigger deposits getting bigger bonuses it is tempting to choose a casino bonus that requires a large deposit. Players should perform an honest audit of their financial situation and only choose bonus offers of deposits they can afford to lose.

The games you play: Different bonuses are applied to different casino games. This is something that players need to consider. For example, in most online casinos one type of bonus would apply to slots while games in another category like blackjack a different kind of bonus would apply. No matter how lucrative a bonus, always choose bonuses in the games you are most comfortable with.

Your style of play: If you’re the type of player who lives for taking risks, you should probably go for slots bonuses. Although these are the riskiest of casino games, should you win, they payout the most. Players who prefer to play it safe should choose bonuses that apply to less risky games such as table-based games.

What are casino wagering requirements?

Casino wagering requirements, also known as playthrough requirements or clearing minimums, are fixed amounts of money that a player is required to gamble before any bonus money awarded can become available for withdrawal. Wagers whether wins or loses are counted.

If you fail to meet the wager requirements, either by failing to fulfill all requirements before the expiration date, or play the wrong games, it’s possible the casino will void your bonus and keep whatever winnings you won with the bonus money.

Step by step guide to claiming online casino bonuses

In order to claim online casino bonuses, your first step is to register a casino account. You will need to provide personal information including your name, address, copies of a utility bill and banking information.

The next step is to make a deposit using one of the available deposit options. Most online casinos offer a variety of methods to choose from. The main deposit methods are usually credit cards, e-wallets and direct bank transfers.

Now you are ready to opt-in for a bonus. Here you have the option of accepting a signup bonus, match deposit bonus or a welcome free play bonus. You might not be interested in all the available bonuses so check the boxes to get only the bonuses you want.

Most casino bonus offers are immediately credited to your account. In instances where this is not the case, you may be required to enter a bonus code prior to submitting your deposit. To avoid missing out on a bonus, make sure to verify this before proceeding with your deposit.